Commercialization Manager, Beck Venture Center

Colorado School of Mines • Golden, CO

2d • $77,000 - $88,000

About The Position

This role shapes how ideas move forward at Mines. As Commercialization Manager, you will help determine which technologies become startups, how founding teams come together, and how early companies access the capital they need to get off the ground. You are helping convert research into real companies and real impact, while building the connective tissue between discovery, entrepreneurship, and investment at one of the nation’s leading STEM institutions. If you love structure, clarity, and momentum and if you enjoy being the person who makes complex systems actually produce outcomes, this role sits at the center of something powerful. The Commercialization Manager is a core operating role at the Beck Venture Center, responsible for running the front end of the commercialization pipeline at Colorado School of Mines and helping translate the strongest opportunities into new startup companies. This role owns the systems, processes, and coordination required to identify which ideas and technologies have real commercial potential, ensure that time, capital, and IP resources are deployed thoughtfully, and support the transition from validated idea to formed startup. The Commercialization Manager sits at the intersection of faculty, Technology Scouts, investors, entrepreneurs, and internal Mines partners, turning a steady flow of raw ideas into clear commercialization and company-formation decisions. This is not a traditional tech transfer licensing role. It is a business analysis, prioritization, and execution role focused on early signal detection, structured evaluation, disciplined follow-through, and startup launch readiness.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, or a closely related field
• Exceptional attention to detail without losing sight of the bigger picture
• A systems mindset and a genuine love of clean processes that actually work
• Proven ability to coordinate smart, busy stakeholders in complex environments

Nice To Haves

• Five or more years of experience in venture capital, finance, technology transfer, startup operations, or a closely related field
• Hands-on exposure to startups or early-stage companies
• A track record of operating effectively inside higher education, government, or other large, complex organizations

Responsibilities

• Idea Intake & Portfolio Management Manage the Idea Bank, Beck’s centralized database for capturing and tracking early-stage ideas from faculty, Technology Scouts, and the broader Mines community Ensure consistent, high-quality intake of ideas, including basic market context, technical readiness, and commercialization hypotheses Maintain visibility into the full portfolio of ideas under consideration, from first capture through startup formation or other downstream outcomes
• Technology Scout Coordination Coordinate and support up to seven part-time faculty Technology Scouts Provide clear processes, tools, and expectations to help Scouts identify, document, and advance promising ideas in their domains Organize regular check-ins and structured review sessions to keep idea flow active and aligned
• Commercial Review & Ecosystem Engagement Organize and facilitate regular idea review sessions with Technology Scouts, investors, entrepreneurs, faculty experts, and other partners Help synthesize feedback and surface clear recommendations around next steps, prioritization, and resource allocation Track and manage Beck’s informal network of investors, entrepreneurs, and domain experts who contribute to commercialization evaluation
• Startup Formation & Early Company Support Support the startup formation process for technologies selected for commercialization Help match scientists and Mines-owned IP with appropriate entrepreneurs, founding executives, and early investors Coordinate with internal and external partners to support corporate formation, early capital structuring, and initial ownership considerations Assist new startups in identifying and accessing relevant non-dilutive funding, including grants and government programs Help connect early-stage companies to venture capital, strategic investors, and other funding sources as they become investor-ready Ensure startup formation activities remain aligned with IP strategy, institutional priorities, and long-term commercialization goals
• Systems, Tools & Process Ownership Serve as system administrator and internal expert for the software platforms used to manage the Idea Bank and Beck’s expert and investor networks Continuously improve commercialization and startup-formation workflows, documentation standards, and review cadence Ensure that information is accurate, current, and accessible to authorized stakeholders
• IP Timeline & Decision Support Maintain close awareness of IP-related timelines tied to disclosures, patents, and licenses Flag upcoming deadlines and decision points to ensure commercialization and startup priorities are addressed in a timely and informed manner Support leadership in making disciplined, data-informed choices about where to invest limited patenting and commercialization resources

Benefits

• Flexible health and dental care options
• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus.
• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
• Free RTD Ecopass
• All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state-of-the-art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center.
• We are proud to have recently opened an on campus daycare center.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager